


Will You Be Mine(s)?

by RedYote



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, heart events
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-27
Updated: 2018-01-28
Packaged: 2019-03-09 23:23:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13491978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedYote/pseuds/RedYote
Summary: After moving to a remote farming village, Sabine isn't quite sure what to make of herself.  She's never been much of a farmer, and her fishing attempts aren't going well.  Then she found the mines.Through her explorations, she runs across another soul down there that isn't trying to kill her.  What will become of them?





	1. Chapter 1

These mines seemed like they were never ending. What had the elevator said again? Level 45? Sabine checked the claymore on her back and stepped out, exhaling. She really needed better armor for this than just farming equipment. 

She’d never expected the letter from her grandfather, nor had she expected to inherit a farm. Some days she wondered what else she could have been doing besides just farming for a living. There seemed to be a never-ending list of things to do on the farm, though.

Then she had run into Linus late one night and he had told her about the mines. How no one went down there because of the monsters. She’d hefted her rusty sword and gone in without a second thought, even with the glasses she wore on her face.

Now she was spending money through the adventurer’s guild to get better weapons, though they never seemed to have any armor. Meant she just needed not to get hit, right? She’d gotten quite good at it, though every level seemed to have its own challenges.

Every morning it seemed to be the same routine. Get up, feed her dog, water the plants, and then jog to the mine for another go at getting deeper. The Adventurer’s Guild had readily accepted her and Gunther always looked delighted when she came in hauling her latest bag of treasures. Clint didn’t mind breaking her geodes open, and it was a decent life.

At least, until she met the clay creatures. She hadn’t been expecting anything in the darkness, so when something wrapped itself around her torso and started to constrict her throat, she was caught off-guard.

The claymore was trapped on her back, and there was no way to get a good swing in with her pickaxe. She didn’t know any of the other townspeople well enough to ask for a backup, and now she was going to die down here.

Stars swam in front of her eyes as she clawed at the creature’s arm to no avail. She couldn’t even get enough air to call out, not that there was anyone out there to call to.

An explosion threw her and the creature backwards, slamming them both against the wall. Sabine gasped for air, reaching up and pulling the claymore from her back. Three good strokes dispatched the clay creature, and it was only then that she fell to her knees, chest heaving to get a good breath.

“Are you okay?” a concerned voice asked. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize anyone else was down here when I threw the cherry bomb.”

Sabine looked up through pale purple hair to see her savior. The light of a torch glinted off of brown hair and glasses. 

“You’re that new girl,” her savior said. “The one that moved into the unused farm.”

Sabine nodded, pushing herself to her feet and holding out a hand in introduction. “Sabine. You are?”

The other girl smiled. “Maru.”

“You live with Robin and Demetrius right?”

She brightened. “Yeah. And Sebastian. He’s my half-brother.”

“What are you doing down here in the mines?”

“Conducting experiments. What about you?”

“Fighting monsters and collecting ore.”

Maru raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you have a farm to run though?”

Sabine chuckled. “I do. Some days I don’t make it down here, though I could certainly use a hand when I do.” She studied the other girl for a long moment. “You come down here alone?”

“I do.”

“Don’t suppose you could use someone watching your back while you conduct said experiments.” 

She felt Maru’s gaze upon her. “I tend to be farther down in the mine,” she finally said simply. “You may want to get better with a sword before you come down there.”

“...ah,” Sabine nodded with as much dignity as she could manage. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Do you need help back to the surface?” 

“I think I’ll manage. Wouldn’t want to interfere with your experiments.”

The two just looked at each other for a long moment, not sure how to bridge the awkwardness between them. 

“Well, I’ll be off then,” Sabine finally managed, sheathing her claymore and squinting her way to the elevator. 

“See you around.”

Now she had another reason to be in the mines, if her beating heart was any indication.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A late night at the mines begets another meeting between Maru and Sabine.

It was late when she finally emerged from the mines, sooty but triumphant. There was a bottom, and Sabine had found it, armed with a blade that gleamed a blackish-blue. Now she just needed to figure out where this key went.

She could barely see in front of her face and walked carefully down the path, guiding herself by the light of Linus’ fire. He tended to not like being disturbed, but Sabine still brought him the odd fish or flower. No one needed to starve after all, and people should be seen.

“Sabine!”

She knew that voice. Sure enough, there was Maru, waving at her with a smile. 

“I have something to show you.”

Intrigued, Sabine made her way over to the deck. It was easier here with the lights from Robin and Demetrius’ house. 

Maru frowned a little as she got closer. “You’ve been in the mines again.”

Sabine nodded, her breath catching slightly as the other woman leaned in to rub at a soot spot on her cheek. 

“And you smell like fire. How far down were you?” Maru shook her head. “Never mind. I probably shouldn’t be asking that. You’re an adult and you can take care of yourself. Here.”

She indicated the telescope. “Want to take a look?”

Sabine slowly nodded, still painfully aware of her proximity to Maru. She’d made a point of bringing her rarer items from the mines just for the excuse to see her light up, and tonight she hadn’t even given her a diamond. Yet there was still that bright smile on her face. 

“Well, come over here then!” She patted the stool and slid off. “Place your eye here, and look through the lens.”

Sabine did as asked and gasped softly as the night sky became that much clearer to her. She had been so focused on getting deeper within the mines that she’d never bothered to look up much. How had she not seen these worlds out there?

“What do you see?” Maru asked.

“A beautiful planet,” Sabine answered, drawing back and looking up.

Maru smiled, eyes still fixed on the sky. “By the time any of these stars are visited, we’ll both be long gone. I guess that’s the problem with being human, huh?” She looked down, and their eyes met. Sabine’s heart started pounding in her chest. 

She could see the other woman’s cheeks darken, or was that just the lighting? 

“Sabine, I…” 

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Maru looked up again, exhaling sharply. “Oh wow, that’s a binary star system!” she exclaimed. 

The moment had passed, and Sabine let her gaze follow Maru’s up to the sky again. A million thoughts drifted through her head as she tilted back, neck craning.

CRASH.

And overbalanced, taking the stool with her in the process. She’d narrowly missed the telescope in the process, Sabine realized, nursing a hurt head and wounded pride. 

“Are you okay?!” Maru knelt down, fingers gliding over the back of her head to check for lumps. “I’m a nurse, I can help.”

“You’re already helping,” Sabine mumbled, perhaps a bit too loudly. Their eyes met again, and this time, she was close enough to see those darkened cheeks. Maru was blushing after all.

Thu-thump. Thu-thump.

“Sabine…”

Sabine reached back to stroke the top of Maru’s hand reassuringly. The other woman flinched slightly, but didn’t remove her hand. 

“What is this that we have?” Sabine murmured softly. 

“I… I don’t know,” Maru admitted. “I’ve never really…”

“Never really what?” Sabine asked.

Maru paused for a moment, listening. “I...I should go. It’s getting late.”

Sabine exhaled slowly and nodded. “That...might be wise.”

Maru stood, eyes not leaving Sabine until she finally disappeared inside her room. The purple-haired woman watched her go. The door closing almost seemed to hold a sense of finality to it.

‘No,’ she told herself, getting up and dusting off her pants of stone dust. ‘Can’t think that way. We’re friends, if nothing else.’

As she jogged back home using the lighted street lamps and torches, that phrase echoed in her head. If nothing else…

What else could they be?


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bouquets can be very tricky things.

Sabine swallowed softly, pacing outside of Maru’s outside door. In her hands lay the bouquet that Pierre had sent her a letter on, explaining the cost and the significance of it. He’d even winked at her when she’d bought it. She wasn’t sure if her actions were being noticed by the townsfolk or not, but it certainly seemed that maybe she was a little more obvious than she thought.

‘Can I really do this?’ she asked herself, leaning against the wall. ‘I mean, what if she says no? I want us to still be friends, but…’ She looked down at the bouquet again and sighed. 

‘Maybe this was a bad idea.’

She shook her head and dusted some snow off of the telescope, placing the bouquet on top before leaving the porch and heading towards the beach. Little dustings of snow caught in her hair, but she paid them no mind. Willy had challenged her to catch a squid, and so far the little buggers had eluded her and her trusty fiberglass rod. 

It was late when she finally called it a night and headed home, shoulders sagging. Another night full of fishing and no luck. She headed past Marnie’s on the way home, but there was no light on the dock. Probably for the best - Shane didn’t need to be out all night drinking in this weather. She sneezed - maybe she didn’t need to be out this late either, she amended. 

Sabine wove her way through the thicket and stones still on her property, trying to ignore the numb sensation in her fingers from where she’d gotten her hands wet catching fish. She’d be okay once she got inside.

It wasn’t until she got closer that she noticed someone waiting on her porch. They were huddled over themselves, blowing on their hands to keep warm.

“Can I help-” Sabine began, but as the person turned around, her words caught in her throat. “Maru?” she managed with a croak.

“Mind if I come in?” Maru asked, stamping her feet on the mat. “It’s a bit chilly out here.”

“Oh! Of course!” Sabine fumbled with the keys and opened the door for her, the dog squeezing in after them. “Hope you weren’t waiting long.”

Maru shook her head, sending small flurries of snow falling to the floor. “Not too long, anyway. I had a question to ask you.”

Sabine felt her heart sink in her chest. “Yes?” she prompted, starting a bit of water boiling for tea. Her fingers hurt a little from the cold, but she ignored them.

“You left the bouquet on the telescope, didn’t you?”

The purple-haired woman froze. 

“I… What makes you say that?” 

Maru raised an eyebrow at her. “I showed up at Pierre’s with the bouquet. He was more than willing to tell me who he’d sold it to just that morning.”

“I might have,” Sabine replied, feeling a blush color her cheeks. “Though, if you knew, what are you doing here?”

“Making sure you didn’t leave it there by mistake.” Maru moved into the kitchen.

Sabine reached up to pull down two mugs, but the other woman’s hands covered hers, bringing them down. “...how long have you been out in the cold?” Maru asked, carefully looking over her fingers. 

“All day. I was fishing earlier.”

Maru frowned. “You don’t have gloves, do you?” 

Sabine shook her head. “Not sure who I can buy them from, so I’ve been doing without.”

“You’re going to give yourself frostbite if you’re not careful.” Maru’s thumb ghosted over her hands, and Sabine tugged them back self-consciously. The two stood looking at each other for a few moments, tension hanging in the air between them until Sabine finally turned away.

“...I didn’t,” she mumbled, spooning some loose leaf tea into a teapot.

“Didn’t what?”

“Didn’t leave it there by mistake.”

Was it her imagination, or was Maru looking at her a little more intently now? She kept her eyes down, pouring the hot water over the tea and setting a timer. Her hands seemed to be shaking a little as the reply hung in the air between them. Was Maru actually interested, or was this going to end in a lost friendship?

“I accept.”

“You...what?” Sabine looked up from her task.

Maru smiled at her. “I accept the bouquet. Didn’t know you felt the same way.” 

“...ah.” Sabine replied dumbly. Maru seemed so close in the dim light from her lanterns. She started to reach out, but hesitated. What did ‘feel the same way’ mean anyway? She was new here. 

The timer sounded incredibly loud in the silence of the house. “I should get that,” Sabine said.

“Let it wait.” Maru replied, moving closer. Her arms encircled the other woman, making Sabine’s heart thud heavily in her chest. Was this actually happening, or was she dreaming? Her head ran back through the tasks of the day, trying to think if anything out of the ordinary had happened. Her fingers still hurt as they warmed, so that took out that theory. 

“But I s-” Sabine was silenced by Maru’s lips on hers. They were warm and soft. The purple-haired woman tensed for a moment, then relaxed into the feeling, returning the kiss softly. They stood there for a few moments, enjoying each other’s company even after the kiss ended. 

“Now you can get the tea,” Maru murmured, smiling at her as she let go.

“Tea?” Sabine said dazedly. “...right. Tea.” She tried to ignore the huge blush that had appeared on her cheeks. She’d been kissed, and it was rather nice. She did manage to pour the tea into the mugs and handed one over to Maru, who had a rather sly look on her face.

“So, what now?” 

“Huh?”

Maru grinned. “Is there a universe where you’re not surprised that I like you?”

Sabine considered a moment. “If there is, it’s not this one.”

The other woman laughed. It was a nice, friendly laugh that sent anticipation and chills down Sabine’s spine. She didn’t think she’d ever heard Maru laugh before.

“Maybe, instead of just showing up at my house or me showing up here, we could go on a proper date?” And there it was. Sabine had been expecting that word to show up before the kiss to be honest. 

“And if I’m not sure what a proper date should be?”

“Then I’m sure we can figure out something.” Maru glanced down at her wrist. “I should be going, though.” She gulped down her tea and kissed Sabine on the cheek. “I’ll be looking forward to what you come up with. You know where to find me!”

With that, she disappeared into the snowy night, leaving a very dazed farmer behind.


End file.
